Abstract: A method of forming conductive pillars on a semiconductor wafer in which the conductive pillars are plated with a protecting coating of Ni, Co, Cr, Rh, NiP, NiB , CoWP, or CoP. Only the side of the conductive pillars are plated. The ends of the conductive pillars are free of the protective plating so that the conductive pillars can be readily joined to the pads of a packaging substrate. Also disclosed is a sidewall-protected conductive pillar having a protective coating of Ni, Co, Cr, Rh, NiP, NiB , CoWP, or CoP thereon.

Abstract: A method of forming conductive pillars on a semiconductor wafer in which the conductive pillars are plated with a protecting coating of Ni, Co, Cr, Rh, NiP, NiB , CoWP, or CoP. Only the side of the conductive pillars are plated. The ends of the conductive pillars are free of the protective plating so that the conductive pillars can be readily joined to the pads of a packaging substrate. Also disclosed is a sidewall-protected conductive pillar having a protective coating of Ni, Co, Cr, Rh, NiP, NiB , CoWP, or CoP thereon.

Abstract: A method is described for lighting an inductive plasma in a plasma processing tool having a matching network, at pressures of about 20 mTorr and below. A matching condition for a capacitive plasma is determined, which then is used to define a match preset condition. When a plasma is started with the matching network in that preset condition, a capacitive plasma ignites and is maintained with a minimum of power. Excess power (power greater than that required to maintain the capacitive plasma) transfers the plasma to the inductive mode. The matching condition for the capacitive plasma may be determined by lighting a plasma, setting a power delivered thereto at not more than about 20 watts, and allowing the matching network to tune to the plasma. A capacitive plasma may be easily started at this preset condition. Current produced in the coil due to the excess power then causes the inductive plasma to light.

Abstract: A densely packed array of vertical semiconductor devices, having pillars with stack capacitors thereon, and methods of making thereof are disclosed. The pillars act as transistor channels, and are formed between upper and lower doped regions. The lower doped regions are self-aligned and are located below the pillars. The array has columns of bitlines and rows of wordlines. The lower doped regions of adjacent bitlines may be isolated from each other without increasing the cell size and allowing a minimum area of approximately 4 F.sup.2 to be maintained. The array is suitable for Gbit DRAM applications because the stack capacitors do not increase array area. The array may have an open bitline, a folded, or an open/folded architecture with dual wordlines, where two transistors are formed on top of each other in each trench. The lower regions may be initially implanted. Alternatively, the lower regions may be diffused below the pillars after forming thereof.

Abstract: A densely packed array of vertical semiconductor devices and methods of making thereof are disclosed. The array has columns of bitlines and rows of wordlines. The gates of the transistors act as the wordlines, while the source or drain regions acts as the bitlines. The array also has vertical pillars, acting as a channel, formed between source and drain regions. The source regions are self-aligned and located below the pillars. The source regions of adjacent bitlines are isolated from each other without increasing the cell size and allowing a minimum area of approximately 4F.sup.2 to be maintained. The isolated sources allow individual cells to be addressed and written via direct tunneling, in both volatile and non-volatile memory cell configurations. The source may be initially implanted. Alternatively, the source may be diffused below the pillars after forming thereof.

Abstract: A densely packed array of vertical semiconductor devices, having pillars and deep trench capacitors, and methods of making thereof are disclosed. The pillars act as transistor channels, and are formed between upper and lower doped regions. The lower doped regions are self-aligned and are located below the pillars. The array has columns of bitlines and rows of wordlines. The lower doped regions of all the cells are isolated from each other without increasing the cell size and allowing a minimum area of approximately 4F.sup.2 to be maintained. The array is suitable for Gbit DRAM applications because the deep trench capacitors do not increase array area. The array may have an open bitline, a folded, or an open/folded architecture with dual wordlines, where two transistors are formed on top of each other in each trench. The lower regions may be initially implanted. Alternatively, the lower regions may be diffused below the pillars after forming thereof.

Abstract: A densely packed array of vertical semiconductor devices, having pillars and deep trench capacitors, and methods of making thereof are disclosed. The pillars act as transistor channels, and are formed between upper and lower doped regions. The lower doped regions are self-aligned and are located below the pillars. The array has columns of bitlines and rows of wordlines. The lower doped regions of all the cells are isolated from each other without increasing the cell size and allowing a minimum area of approximately 4F.sup.2 to be maintained The array is suitable for Gbit DRAM applications because the deep trench capacitors do not increase array area. The array may have an open bitline, a folded, or an open/folded architecture with dual wordlines, where two transistors are formed on top of each other in each trench. The lower regions may be initially implanted. Alternatively, the lower regions may be diffused below the pillars after forming thereof.

Abstract: A densely packed array of vertical semiconductor devices, having pillars with stack capacitors thereon, and methods of making thereof are disclosed. The pillars act as transistor channels, and are formed between upper and lower doped regions. The lower doped regions are self-aligned and are located below the pillars. The array has columns of bitlines and rows of wordlines. The lower doped regions of adjacent bitlines may be isolated from each other without increasing the cell size and allowing a minimum area of approximately 4F.sup.2 to be maintained. The array is suitable for Gbit DRAM applications because the stack capacitors do not increase array area. The array may have an open bitline, a folded, or an open/folded architecture with dual wordlines, where two transistors are formed on top of each other in each trench. The lower regions may be initially implanted. Alternatively, the lower regions may be diffused below the pillars after forming thereof.

Abstract: A densely packed array of vertical semiconductor devices and methods of making thereof are disclosed. The array has columns of bitlines and rows of wordlines. The gates of the transistors act as the wordlines, while the source or drain regions acts as the bitlines. The array also has vertical pillars, acting as a channel, formed between source and drain regions. The source regions are self-aligned and located below the pillars. The source regions of adjacent bitlines are isolated from each other without increasing the cell size and allowing a minimum area of approximately 4F.sup.2 to be maintained. The isolated sources allow individual cells to be addressed and written via direct tunneling, in both volatile and non-volatile memory cell configurations. The source may be initially implanted. Alternatively, the source may be diffused below the pillars after forming thereof.

Abstract: Method for creating a doped polysilicon layer of accurate shape on a sidewall of a semiconductor structure. According to the present method, a doped polysilicon film covering at least part of said semiconductor structure and of said sidewall is formed. This polysilicon film then undergoes a reactive ion etching (RIE) process providing for a high etch rate of said polysilicon film to approximately define the shape of the polysilicon layer on said sidewall. Then, said polysilicon film undergoes a second reactive ion etching process. This second reactive ion etching process is a low polysilicon etch rate process such that non-uniformities of the surface of said polysilicon film are removed by sputtering.

Abstract: A back end of the line dry etch method is disclosed. Etching of a mask oxide and temporary (sacrificial) silicon mandrel occurs following the formation of gate stacks and tungsten studs. The mask oxide is etched selectively to tungsten and silicon through the use of a polymerizing oxide etch. The silicon is etched selectively to both silicon nitride, silicon oxide, and tungsten. The process removes the silicon mandrel and associated silicon residual stringers by removing backside helium cooling, while using HBr as the single species etchant, and by adjusting the duration, the pressure, and the electrode gaps during the silicon etch process. The silicon may be undoped polysilicon, doped polysilicon, or single crystal silicon.